New Magpies co-captain Geva Mentor has revealed how her off-season travels helped find herself again

It couldn’t have been a better year for Geva Mentor on the netball court with Commonwealth Gold and a Super Netball title. But it was a little bumpier off-court. Here’s how she rebooted for a fresh start with the Magpies.

New Magpies co-captain Geva Mentor has revealed how an off-season taking in the beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains helped her find herself again after a challenging year off-court.

After leading the Sunshine Coast Lighting to the past two championships, Mentor is one of the key recruits to join the new-look Magpies lineup for the 2019 Super Netball season.

The English goal keeper will captain the team alongside midcourter Madi Browne — who has reverted to her maiden name — in what will be her fourth team in Australia after stints at the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Vixens in the former trans-Tasman league.

Mentor revealed a desire to take herself out of her comfort zone in a bid to grow as a person was behind her decision to leave the premiers for a fresh start with the Magpies.

While she claimed Commonwealth Games gold with England and a second title with Lightning, it was a personally challenging period for Mentor last year with the breakdown of her marriage.

But the star defender said escaping overseas off-season had helped her find the love for herself again.

Geva Mentor is ready for a new challenge with the Magpies. Picture: AAP

"Having that time off at the end of the year to get away — Canada was beautiful — it really puts life into perspective,'' Mentor said.

"Being able to travel with some good people. It just meant I was able to open my mind, open my heart up again and just find the love for myself.

"Obviously (my on-court) performance was always there and I was able to focus in on what I needed to do. But at the end of the day I lost who I was as a bit of a person. To find out who I was again, to rebuild that and then to have someone lovely come into my life again was pretty awesome.''

That someone has been Collingwood big man Mason Cox, with whom she shared her travel adventures with during the off-season on social media.

"One's American and one's English, although we have so much in common. I think our common ground is travel and our love and appreciation for the world around us,'' Mentor said.

"We are enjoying our time and I think come off-season again you'll find us off gallivanting around the world somewhere else. We're taking it nice and steady at the moment, but I think the main thing is we're having fun and enjoying each other's company.

Geva Mentor on holiday with Collingwood ruckman Mason Cox.

"The funniest thing was (explaining my) CBE and updating him on what the Queen's honours list was all about because he had no idea whatsoever. I'm looking forward to when I go to receive that taking Mason with me and showing him around Buckingham Palace and what it's all about."

At 34, Mentor has signed a two-year deal with the Pies, but is confident she has plenty of netball left in her.

"I still feel all right. For me age is just a number at the moment. Touch wood, the body is still going,'' Mentor said.

Magpies co-captain Geva Mentor (right) with Melbourne Vixens captain Kate Moloney. Picture: Getty Images

"I'd like to think that I've got quite a few more years left in me."

Mentor was ready for the challenge of helping the Magpies find success after the team failed to live up to expectations in its first two seasons. She will face-off against her old team Lightning in a first-round double-header at Melbourne Arena next week.

The Magpies are hopeful Browne (knee) and her sister Kelsey (ankle) will be fit for the opening round after they were hurt in a pre-season game in Bendigo earlier this month.

Vixens captain Kate Moloney, meanwhile, has promised an aggressive edge from the Vixens this season after missing the finals last year.

"We didn't make finals so there needs to be a lot of improvement in a lot of areas,'' Moloney said.

"We want to hit the court and be a real presence out there. We want to be aggressive … going out there and stamping our authority early and showing what the Vixens are about.

“We want to be a team that goes and goes and is relentless right until the very last whistle.”